Interview to the end

As the legal recruitment market continues to hot up and law firm clients are being increasingly flexible about the type of candidate that they will consider for each role we are finding that our candidates are having opportunities to interview for a wider range of jobs. There are sometimes baffling arrays of vacancies available for those who are seeking new positions. Often candidates do not realise the extent of available roles or the full extent of things that their skill set will be considered for.

Once a candidate starts making applications if is very likely that they will secure multiple interviews. We find that candidates often jump at the first offer they get, immediately wanted to cancel all other interviews. Many candidates assume that a job offer from one firm, will be very similar to a job offer from another. Others have simply had enough of looking for jobs and yet others are sure they prefer one firm to another.

The reality is that all firms and all recruiting Partners have unique personalities and all roles are different even though they may look similar on paper. Until you attend an interview and meet the people that you would be working with it is almost impossible to predict how you will feel about the interviewing firm. It may be that you prefer them to the firm that have already made you an offer. It may be that the job is more interesting or offers more progression. You may also find that you do not like the other firm or role and so can be even more assured that the offer you have is the right one.

Many candidates worry that they could be perceived to be wasted people’s time by attending an interview if they already have an offer they are likely to accept. The reality is that recruiting Partners will generally always prefer to have the chance to meet a candidate that they are interested in, to highlight the benefits of working for their team if nothing else. By meeting them you can ensure you leave a door open in case you ever find yourself looking again in the future.

The experience of interviewing when you already have a job offer can be quite surreal as the pressure is often off and you are able to really express yourself in the meeting. Whether or not you ultimately get a second offer to consider seems less important because you already have one on the table. Many people give a better account of themselves and ultimately find that they get a better offer.

Obviously time can play a factor and no one wants to keep a prospective employer waiting for two long. A good recruitment consultant will be able to offer advice on each individual client’s tolerance levels and the amount of time it takes them to get paperwork to you etc. In some cases it may be that you risk losing an offer by not signing the contract quickly enough. The reality is that the interview you thought you needed to cancel next week is generally well within the time scale you have to consider things.

As the market is improving BCL Legal are able to offer candidates the opportunity to interview with a greater number of firms. As the market place continues to be short of good candidates, this seems likely to continue for the foreseeable future. We are always more than happy to discuss the best ways to manage multiple interview/ multiple offer scenario’s with any registered candidates.